Kristy McDonald is an experienced Barrister and Queen’s Counsel in Wellington with a wealth of legal, governance and regulatory experience and a strong interest in primary industries.

Having represented both private clients and the Crown for over 37 years, Kristy has extensive experience ranging across many areas of legal practice but has a particular focus on administrative and public law.  Kristy has a sound understanding of the workings of Government and of regulatory and judicial processes.

Kristy is a director of a number of boards including the Accident Compensation Corporation.  She is Deputy Chair of the Wairarapa Building Society, and was appointed Deputy Chair of the Electoral Commission in 2016.  Kristy holds governance roles on a number of Crown Audit and Risk Committees.  She has also previously chaired the Judicial Control Authority for Racing and the Real Estate Agents Authority.

She was also one of the first women to practice as a barrister in Wellington and has continued to accept instructions to represent the Crown in criminal and civil/administrative law cases, as well as developing a successful general private practice focusing on civil, commercial and professional disciplinary litigation.